Karasumonogatari
by Dec14 thief
Summary: Do you know how tall is sky when you look at it? I don't know! And because of that i always looks up and tries my best to reaches it. But when i meet her that night, i became aware that not only sky that is beautiful but this world also beautiful. With that new thing inside me i renew my hope and i will absolutely reaches that sky as i wanted to fly in freedom like those bird...


A/N: Now this is very interesting, sometimes I just right here... Sitting on the chair and looks at the teachor who tried to explains something to us while writing fanfic. At first I only wanted an opening, but when I write his meeting with Senjougahara, I become kind addicted to this story.

So much like Sky or Sky Redux, what was means for just little fun become new whole story!

Though I must admit that Nisio-Ishin sensei is genius in story like this.

So for the first time i present you my Air Gear/Bakemonogatari fanfic that have been in my mind lately.

Warning: This story contains hard-element that became a charachteristic of Bakemonogatari and different timeline. Ikki OOC and Rated-M mostly because of his thought and action

-xXx-

I never understand.

The reason why human can't fly in the sky

I never understood, what would never change…

Was it because I'm idiot that I couldn't understand about it?

Was it because I'm too young that I couldn't understand about it?

Was it because the bliss of sky that blinding me?

I don't think I understand what they said to me and never wanted to understand that

Maybe others do, may be they not.

But I do not.

I still remember that…

The day when I climb onto the top of the Tokyo tower to reach the sky and I really found it…

The beautiful of the vast sky…

-xXx-

Senjougahara Hitagi was widely known to be a sickly girl; so it is not surprising that she would be exempt from physical education classes. Even during morning assemblies, she would sit in the shade because of her anemia. Although I've been in the same classes as her for three years in high school, I've never seen her move so actively.

She frequently visited the nurse's office, and because of hospital checkups, she often either came to class late, left early, or was absent altogether.

Even many of my classmates joke that the hospital is her home.

Even though she's sick, she's far from insubstantial. As if she was as thin as a thread, she gives off the impression that she would break at the slightest touch. For that reason, perhaps, the boys in our class half-joked that she might be the heiress to some big company.

It seemed almost plausible.

Even I think that suits the personal of Senjougahara.

In the corner of the room, Senjougahara always read by herself. Sometimes it would be a hard cover book, but sometimes it would be one of those comics that lower your IQ. She seemed to be quite indiscriminate in her choice of books.

Maybe because she reads anything with words, though there may be quality in her choice in books.

She's intelligent and at the top of the class.

Given that she always scored in the top ten on the ranking list announced after examinations, in every subject. Although it's presumptuous to compare her to someone like me (A dumbass who fails in nearly every subject), it's must be because our brain works in different perspective.

It seems like she doesn't have friends.

Not a single one.

I've never seen her talking with anyone. From my point of view, the sight of her reading a book — the very action of her reading a book — may have created a wall around her. Because of that even though me and my bastard friends always making ruckus in front of her, she always kept silent and continued reading her book silently and elegantly.

Unfortunately.

With regards to her voice, I've only heard her say "I don't know" in reply to the teacher's questions in class. (Though I don't know if she really knew the answer or not, she always replied with "I don't know"). In the specialized domain of the school, it was common for people without friends to form groups with other people without friends.

It's called colony or something craps like that.

Actually I'm in group called East Side Gunz until last month I resign from that group.

However, Senjougahara is an exception to this rule. Of course, she's not being bullied either. For better or worse, I've never seen her being a victim. I've always taken for granted that she would always be in that corner of the classroom, reading her books.

Hell she really had created a wall around herself.

Her presence there was a given.

Her absence here was expected.

Well, it doesn't matter.

After spending three years in high school, with two hundred students per level between first years to third years, senpais, kouhais, classmates, and all the teachers making up nearly a thousand of people together in the same space, I've begun to wonder how many of these people I know personally.

Well the answer could make my nose to become longer with my hell-pride!

Even if a miracle happened and you shared the same class with someone for three years, I don't think that you'd feel lonely not exchanging any words with that person. It just ends up as a memory that such a person had existed. Even though I don't know what will happen to me a year after I graduate from middle school with brain like mine.

I probably won't have any reason to remember Senjougahara's face, nor be able to do so.

That's fine with me. It should be the same for Senjougahara as well. Not only for her, but it should be the same for everyone in the school. It must be wrong to even think about such a thing as depressing.

That was what I thought.

But

On one particular day…

To be truthful, I'd just ended a hellish excuse for a spring break, became a third year student, and saw the end of a nightmarish Golden Week.

It was the 8th of May.

That day actually wasn't anything special as I climbs through my school's staircase with my AT and played few tricks on it.

That's when my eyes caught her.

It was like an angel descending from the heavens. The wisps of lights accompanying her luminous figure were making it even more believing for me. Her long dark tresses fluttering in the wind, as if they have become alive. For a moment I thought, she really has descended from heavens to take my soul.

For being what I am, I wouldn't be surprised.

But the lack of wings make me realize that it isn't some angel.

It's a girl with an unfortunate tag on her.

For falling, that is…

To be truthful, she probably didn't fall from the sky. She'd probably tripped on the stairs and fell backwards.

To be told actually I could just help her with one trick and ending that crap…

But it's very odd…

Or maybe I'm just captivated by her beautiful at that time…

I quickly jumped to her with my hands spread…

…

The wisps of light glimmered again, as I felt her lithe body in my arms. It felt so weak, so fragile; I feared that I might break her.

And that was also the moment I realized.

She was as light as feather.

Literally.

I don't know what would have gone through her mind, when she gazed at me with those glossy eyes of her.

Maybe she was surprised, maybe she was angry, sad.

No, it was most probably a mistake.

Because.

Because Senjougahara, whom I caught and hence stopped her fall, was very—impossibly light. No kidding, she was mysteriously, eerily, light.

As though she wasn't even there. That's right. Senjougahara was so light, it was as if she had no weight.

-xXx-

"Senjougahara-san?" Hanekawa said tilted her head to the side, puzzlement in her eyes. "What do you mean about Senjougahara-san?"

"You know-" I hesitated. "I'm just, curious."

"You don't say."

"You know, like, she has a weird name, doesn't she?"

"Senjougahara is the name of a place."

"Well, it's not that, I'm talking about her first name."

"If I'm not wrong, her first name is Hitagi, isn't it? It's not really weird. If I remember correctly, it's a term related to public works."

"You really know everything..."

"I don't know everything. I just know what I know." Although Hanekawa did not seem satisfied with my answer, she did not persist, but only commented offhandedly. "It's quite rare for you Ikki-kun to noticed someone like her you know,"

One of the most devilish.

Just to tell you…

She is Hanekawa Tsubasa, the class representative.

She is law-abiding, well mannered, extremely serious and highly praised by teachers…

Actually…She is the representative of the representatives. One of the most perfect human you could find out there.

I know it sounds impossible, but it's true.

It's something that can't be expressed in human language. If you need to pass word of the girl called Hanekawa Tsubasa, you necessitate to speak the tongue of gods.

Or maybe that of a Devil…

We were in different classes for the first and second year of school and only ended up in the same class for third year. Even before we were in the same class, I had heard about Hanekawa's existence.

It was a given; if Senjougahara was in the top of the class every year, Hanekawa was the top student.

She attains full marks for all five or six subjects as if it was a walk in the park, and even now, I can remember her inhuman feat. In the term tests of the first semester of our second year, including Physical Education and Fine Arts, the only mistake she made was on a trick question in History.

She was so famous, even if I didn't want to, I would have ended up hearing about her.

And.

Lucky me…

Hanekawa is a kind human being, good at taking care of people. And it is honestly unfortunate that she is a determined person as well. She is such a serious person that she doesn't budge once she has made up her mind.

During the spring break, just because of a little incident that should have been over by now, even though she didn't know whether we would end up in the same class or not, she had declared:

"I will definitely change you for the better."

For me who was somewhat delinquent and a problem child, more of a troublemaker in class than anything, her declaration came as a shock. No matter how hard I tried to dissuade her, she forced me to become the assistant class representative.

That was why today, the 8th of May, the both of us stayed back after school to plan the Cultural Festival that was to be held in the middle of June.

Suck to be me…

She glanced out the window, her caged eyes seeing past the brightness the sun provided. "Even though it's the cultural festival, we are already third years. There isn't much we have to do seriously. Besides, preparing for the exams is also very important…"

As expected of the representative of all class representatives, she places more importance on examinations than cultural festivals.

Tapping her green pen against her notebook, she gazed at me with her sleek eyes, "For starters, let's list some alternatives. We will get everyone to cast their votes from there." Spinning the pen around her hand, she rested her chin against her fist, "How's that?"

"It sounds good to me. Democratic."

"As usual, you make it sound so negative. As if you are already defeated."

"I'm never defeated and don't point my negative point, now…." I point my pen rudely as she giggled.

***TICK* *TICK***

Tapping her green pen against the notebook, "Just for reference, what did you suggest for the cultural festival last year and the year before?"

"A Haunted House and a Cafe."

"I see… the normal. Too normal. One could even say mundane."

"I guess."

"Mundane might be good."

"Don't say that."

"Ahaha…"

"Most of the stalls will be mundane, but is it such a bad idea? Not only do we have to entertain the guests, we have to keep things interesting for ourselves... That reminds me, Senjougahara - she doesn't participate in Cultural Festivals, does she?"

Not last year - and not the year before that either.

It's not only for Cultural Festivals. Senjougahara probably does not participate in anything outside normal class time. Sport festivals were a given, but she does not participate in class outings or camps. The excuse being that the doctor has forbidden any form of physical exertion, or something of the sort. Now that I think of it, it's weird.

Physical exercise is understandable, but to exclude any forms of physical activity -

But, what if -

What if I had been mistaken?

What if Senjougahara had no weight…

What if Senjougahara had no weight.

Other than normal classes, indeed, in situations where she'll be surrounded by large numbers of people, such as physical education classes, there will be an increase in the chance of being touched, and she most definitely cannot be able to participate.

"Are you very concerned about Senjougahara?"

"What's wrong? Jealous?"

"Guys prefer weak and sickly girls after all. That's so perverted." Hanekawa teased.

It was a comparably preferable moment.

"Sickly, huh..."

I suppose you could call her sickly.

But does that count as an illness?

Is it all right to pass that off as an illness?

It's easy to understand why the body would become lighter during illness, but that was way beyond the level of illness.

From the topmost staircase, almost as if she was dancing, a slim girl fell. It was a situation where the person who attempted to catch her would most definitely be injured.

Despite that, there was no impact.

"Shouldn't you know more about Senjougahara than me? After all, you've been in the same class as Senjougahara for three years running."

"You could say that - but girls would know more about other girls."

"I wonder..."

Her smile widened in happy.

"If a girl has problems, she wouldn't talk to guys about it, wouldn't you agree?

"That's true."

Of course it's true…

I have million bruises in my body to prove it, after all…

"That's why… just thinks of it as a question from the assistant class rep to the class rep. What kind of a person is Senjougahara?"

"Well."

Hanekawa, who had not stopped writing even as she spoke to me (she wrote and erased and rewrote "Haunted House" and "Café" as the first items on the list of "Item to be presented during Cultural Festival"), stopped and folded her arms under her massie breasts.

"Senjougahara, well, her family name seems rather dangerous at first glance, but she's an honor student with no problems. She's clever and doesn't avoid cleaning duties."

"I'll bet. I already knew that. I'm asking about things I don't know."

"But I've only been in the same class with her for a month. It's a given that there are many things that I don't know. There was Golden Week, too."

"Oh right, Golden Week."

"It's nothing. Carry on…"

She slightly nodded, "Oh, let me think…Senjougahara-san…She doesn't speak much. She doesn't seem to have any friends, either. It must be because of her illness. She was livelier and more full of spirit during junior high."

"…"

As expected, she sees through everyone.

"When you say middle school – Hanekawa, you were in the same middle school as Senjougahara?"

"Eh? Didn't you ask me because of that?" She looked surprised. "We are from the same elementary school, Kiyokaze Public Elementary School. Even though we weren't in the same class, Senjougahara was famous."

"She was really beautiful, good at sports and the star of the track team."

Her hand rose, gripping her chin in that perfect thinking pose, "Therefore, I heard many rumors…"

"Heard?"

"That she was a really considerate girl. That she doesn't discriminate and treats everyone equally well, and that she came from a good family. Her father was one of the top people in a foreign capital company, she lives in a mansion, and although she's really rich, she's not snobbish at all. She's above us, and aiming even higher."

"She sounds like a superwoman."

"Well, it's probably half-true."

Well…

Rumors are rumor after all…

"Of course, that's what they were saying at that time."

"At that time."

"After we entered high school, I heard that she became ill. Despite that, I was shocked when we ended up in the same class this year and I saw her. After all, she wasn't the type to stick in a corner of the classroom."

It was what she had assumed selfishly, said Hanekawa.

It was definitely a selfish assumption.

People change.

From middle school to high school, it's a given that people will change. I changed, and Hanekawa must also have changed. That's why it's understandable that Senjougahara had changed. She must have had her own problems, and maybe she really became ill.

That might be the reason why she had lost her cheerful self. She must have lost her energy. Anyone would be depressed when they're sick. Especially if they had been lively in the past. That's why, my conjecture must be correct.

If that had not happened this morning…

"But – I probably shouldn't say this about Senjougahara."

"What?"

"Compared to the past, she's a lot prettier now."

"…."

"Her existence is – really fragile."

…

I know it must be hard for her, in that house.

…

"Ah, I just remembered something."

"Eh?"

"Oshino called me."

"Oshino-san? What for?"

"Something – Well, he probably wanted me to help with his work."

"I see." Hanekawa's expression was unreadable.

The sudden change in topic – more like, the conspicuous attempt to round up the issue, she seems distrustful. Saying that I had to "help with his work" was on a spur of the moment. That's why I don't get along well with smart people.

She can probably tell what I'm thinking.

I stood up, forcibly trying to keep my tone light.

"So, I gotta leave like, now. I'll leave the rest to you, Hanekawa?"

"If you agree to compensate for today, then it's all right. There isn't much left, so I'll let you off for today. You shouldn't keep Oshino-san waiting."

Hanekawa had said that for my sake.

Seems like using Oshino's name was a good choice. Oshino was a benefactor to both of us, and we didn't want to appear ungrateful. Well, of course, I had taken that into account, and it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Then, for the cultural festival item, is it all right if I make the decision? Though we'll get the approval from the rest afterwards."

"Yeah. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Give my best to Oshino-san."

"I will, I will"

-xXx-

I stepped out of the classroom, shutting the door with one hand, and had taken a single step, when, from behind me,

"What were you talking to Hanekawa-san about?"

A voice asked.

I turned around.

As I turned, I was still unable to ascertain the identity of the person behind me – it was an unfamiliar voice. Though I had heard it before... That's right, during class, it was that feeble voice that always answered "I don't know"

"Don't move."

From those two words alone, I realized that it was Senjougahara.

In the instant that I faced her squarely, I also realized that she had inserted a cutter-knife into my mouth, as if she had aimed for it, as if she had cut through space and time.

The blade of the cutter-knife was.

Touching the inside of my left cheek.

"!"

And she was very serious about it…

"Ah, let me correct myself. 'You may move if you want to, but it's dangerous' would be more accurate in this situation."

Though she had given me no allowance to move, it wasn't yet violence, but on the verge of it – the blade was touching the inside of my cheek.

Weird.

But of Senjougahara, who, whilst threatening me with a cutter-knife, stared at me coldly, unmoving. Had she –

Had I ever seen her wear such an insecure expression?

"Your curiosity is like that of a cockroach – digging into people's secrets persistently. It's unbearingly irritating. You've touched my nerves, you boring excuse for a bug."

"H-hey..."

Sorry to disappoint you, but I belong to a different species.

But…

I could image that…

Her eyes twinkled as a sadistic smile dragged on her lips.

Maybe she is enjoying the sight of surprise on my face.

Poor girl, I already treated far too many often by this occurrence.

And of course few of them ending me into hospital near my house…

"What's wrong? Is your right cheek feeling lonely? You could have told me so in the first place."

Senjougahara raised her left hand.

The bigger and heavier end of the staple, that is, the pointed ends of the staples, the fully loaded side, was inserted into my mouth, and of course, resulted in my inability to produce speech.

Where did she get that stapler from?

With only the cutter-knife, I hadn't been able to move, but I had been able to speak – but now I didn't even dare to try speaking. I didn't have to think about it.

Anyway, in an instant, I was completely trapped.

In the corridors of a private high school, I was in a situation so absurd, it was unimaginable that on the other side of the wall, Hanekawa was deciding the class activity for the Cultural Festival.

Hanekawa...

What do you mean, "her family name seems rather dangerous"?

She is extremely dangerous.

It's unexpected that Hanekawa misjudged her.

"After you ask Hanekawa-san about my life in middle school, do you intend to ask my form teacher Hoshina-sensei? Or do you intend to skip the form teacher and go straight to the school doctor Harukami-sensei?"

"..." I couldn't speak.

I didn't know what Senjougahara thought of the me who couldn't speak, but she sighed deeply.

"Though I must say, I was careless. I really did not expect a banana peel to be at such a place."

Wow a comic mistake

Makes me a bit relief

So my life is in the hands of a girl who slipped on a banana peel. More importantly, why was there _a banana peel_ on the stairs in a school?

"You realize it, don't you?" Senjougahara asked, with that insecure look in her eyes.

She must be the daughter of some rich family.

"That's right. I have no weight."

Weightless.

"According to my body shape and height, my average weight should be in range of 45 kg and above. But my actual weight is…"

"…5 kg."

Five kilograms.

It wasn't very different from a newborn baby.

An image of a five kilogram dumbbell came to mind, and it wasn't anywhere close to zero. But for five kilograms to be spread out in the volume of a human being, the density – to her, it must feel as if she has no weight.

It would be easy to catch her as she fell.

"Well, even though the scales say that I'm five kilograms, I don't feel it. I don't feel any different from when I was in the later range of the forties."

Does that –

Does that mean that gravity doesn't work on her? Not weight, but volume – since humans are made up of mostly water, specific gravity, assuming density is one whole – put simply, Senjougahara is only one-tenth of that density.

If the density of the bones is one-tenth of the actual weight, she'd suffer from osteoporosis before long. Her organs and brains would not be able to work properly.

That's why, it's completely impossible.

It's not about the numbers.

If she was as light as this, she would be dead.

"I know what you're thinking about."

"..."

"To keep staring at my breasts, you're disgusting."

"...!"

I swear I wasn't staring!

Seems like Senjougahara is a rather self-conscious girl. It's not unexpected, given her looks and beauty – I just wish that Senjougahara had even a thousandth of Hanekawa's virtues.

"That's why I hate shallow people."

It doesn't seem possible to clear the misunderstanding between us – but more important, I was of the opinion that Senjougahara wasn't really sick, but that it was only a façade. With a weight of fifty kilograms, she's neither sick nor ill. If you say she's strong, she must be an alien from a planet with ten times the gravity of that on Earth, and must be pretty good at sports.

Especially since she was in the track-and-field. Though she doesn't seem suited to fighting…

"It happened after I graduated from middle school, and before I entered high school," said Senjougahara. "In that odd period when I was neither a middle schooler nor a high schooler, even though it wasn't even spring break, I became like this."

"..."

"I met - a crab."

C-crab?

As if that weird animal with ten legs? Crab? ?

"It stole my weight."

"..."

That's…

"It's forgivable even if you don't understand it. I am only telling you this since I find it inconvenient for you to stick your nose into it any further,Minami-kun."

"Minami-kun, hey Minami-kun…"

Senjougahara called my name, repeatedly.

"I don't have weight – I don't have mass. Nothing that's remotely related to weight. It's not problematic for me at all. It's just like in 'Yousuke's Mysterious World'. Do you like Takahashi Shousuke?"

"..."

"The only person in this school who knows of this is Harukami-sensei, the school doctor. As of this moment, only Harukami-sensei. Not the principal Yoshiki-sensei, not the senior teacher Shima-sensei, not the level headed Irinaka-sensei. Only Harukami-sensei – and you, Araragi-kun."

"..."

"So now, what should I do so that you will keep quiet about my secret? For my sake, what should I do? Other than 'tearing apart your mouth' so that you can't speak, what should I do so that you will swear to 'keep your mouth shut'?"

Cutter-knife.

Stapler.

Frankly my dear, there is nothing you could do to me or my mouth.

"According to the doctors at the hospital, the reason is unknown – or rather, there should be no reason. After doing what they wanted with my body, what an insulting answer. That it must have been like that from the beginning, that it was the only thing they could say," said Senjougahara self-deprecatingly.

"Don't you think that it's absurd? Even though I was a perfectly normal, perfectly cute girl until middle school."

"..."

Let's ignore the fact that she called herself cute.

She really had been going to the hospital.

Tardiness, leaving early, absences.

I wonder what he thought about it.

Like me, just like me, only not in the short space of the two weeks of spring break, but always.

What had she given up on?

What had she forsaken?

Enough time had passed.

"Are you going to pity me? How kind of you."

As if she had seen into my thoughts, she spoke insultingly. As if everything was filthy.

"But I don't want your pity."

"..."

"What I want is your silence and your indifference. Do you think you're capable of that? You want to treasure your unblemished cheeks, don't you?"

Senjougahara smiled.

"Minami-kun, if you can promise me silence and indifference, nod twice. I will treat any other action as an offensive move and will attack accordingly."

What a one-sided speech.

Left with no choice, I nodded twice.

"I see."

Senjougahara seemed relieved by my choice of action. Even though I had been left with no choice, even though she had been the one bargaining, even though her request was one that I could not deny – she seemed relieved by the fact that I had accepted it.

"Thank you." As she said that, she removed her cutter-knife from my mouth, not carefully, but excruciatingly, slowly. She put away the cutter-knife.

Next was the stapler-

"…Urgh!?"

***SNAP***

Unbelievable.

Senjougahara closed the stapler forcefully.

And before I could respond to the pain, she removed the stapler.

I collapsed onto the floor.

Clutching the side of my mouth in pain.

"O…ouch"

"You won't scream. How admirable," said Senjougahara, looking down with an uncaring face.

"I'll let you off with this. If you hate your own incompetence, you may keep your side of the bargain without an ounce of sincerity."

"...Y-you"

Snap.

As I was about to say something, Senjougahara pressed down on the stapler, as if she was going to bind something together.

The staple fell before my very eyes.

Naturally, I shivered.

A conditioned reflex.

With just one attempt – she created a conditioned reflex.

"All right then, Minami-kun, from tomorrow onwards, please make sure to ignore me. I'm depending on you."

After saying that, without waiting for my response, she went down the stairs. Before I could get up from my crouch, she had turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

Wiping the blood from my mouth I glared at her, "Ah, what a devil-like woman."

I stroked my cheek, not to ease the pain, but to ascertain its state.

"..."

All right.

She hadn't pierced through.

And then, I inserted my finger into my mouth. My left finger, because it was my right cheek. I felt my way in.

The pain was not gone, nor was it so weak that I couldn't find the staple – but there was only one of it. As expected, it was only meant as a threat, and it could still be considered a peaceful attempt… though truthfully, I had been hoping for that.

Oh well.

The fact that it hadn't pierced through my cheek meant that the staple had not bent… it was still in its original shape, with the sharp ends pointed outwards. That meant that she had not used her full force.

With my thumb and forefinger, I pulled it out in one go.

The sharp pain was mixed with the iron taste of blood.

Blood was spurting out, it seems.

"Ow..."

It's all right.

If it's only this, I'll be fine.

As I licked the two holes on the inside of my cheek, I folded the ends of the staple and slipped it into the pocket of my jacket.

I picked up the staple that Senjougahara dropped and repeated the action. It'll be dangerous if someone who wasn't wearing shoes stepped on it. I couldn't help but treat these staples as dangerous objects like Magnum bullets.

"Eh? Why are you still here, Araragi-kun?" said Hanekawa as she stepped out of the classroom.

It seemed like she'd finished the papers.

That took quite a bit of time.

Or should I say, nice timing.

"Shouldn't you hurry to Oshino-san's place?" Asked Hanekawa.

It was like she hasn't realized anything.

She had been on the other side of the wall. It was a very thin wall. Despite that, without letting Hanekawa notice anything, she managed to pose such a threat. Senjougahara Hitagi is truly someone to be feared.

"Hanekawa… Do you like bananas?"

"Eh? Well, I don't hate them. They're nutritious, and if I had to decide, I guess I do like them."

"No matter how much you like them, don't eat them in school!"

"W-what?"

"Well, it's fine if you eat them in school, but if you leave the peel on the staircase, I'll never forgive you!"

"What on earth are you talking about, Ikki-kun!?" said Hanekawa, looking exasperated.

That's to be expected.

"More importantly, Ikki-kun, what about Oshino-san –"

"No worries I'm heading there now!"

***SWUSH***

As I said that, I left Hanekawa and dashed off with my AT, "Ah, hey, Ikki-kun! You shouldn't use AT in school! I will tell the teacher!?" I heard Hanekawa shout behind me, but I ignored her.

I dashed

In any case, I even gliding

Turning the corner, the staircase.

This is the fourth floor.

She can't be too far away.

Hop, jump, glide through the air, landing softly as I make few flips in air

I really loves AT

The feels that I could do many thing with this things in the air is surely the best!

Maybe that is my bliss

Like her

Like Senjougahara

Senjougahara couldn't feel it.

No weight.

No mass.

Her doubtful footsteps.

A crab.

She had talked about a crab.

"This way – nope, this way."

She wouldn't try to hide. She wouldn't think that I would chase after her, so she should be heading straight for the school gate. She has no club activities, so she must be one of those who head straight home after school. Even if she did have something on, it won't be starting at this time. Once I had come to that conclusion, I Jumped and used air as my cushion and looked up me.

Senjougahara was there.

From the noise I was making, she must have already known that I was coming, and even though I was approaching her from the back, she was already turning around to face me.

With those cold eyes.

"Astounding," she said.

"No, I should truly be flabbergasted. You are the first to rebound so quickly after that, Minami-kun."

"The first…"

That meant that there had been others.

Though she made so much fuss about it.

But, it was true, once I thought about it, that her secret of "having no weight" was one that would be exposed upon contact. It was realistically speaking, impossible.

Come to think of it, she had said "as of this moment".

She might really be the devil.

"In any case, I had not thought you would be able to recover from the pain in your cheek. Normally, you wouldn't have been able to move from that spot."

The voice of that

The voice of killer

Maybe she already did that

"All right, I get it. I understand now, Minami-kun. Your charisma as the baby face really impress me even after something like that you kept coming to me and you wore that AT of yours now." said Senjougahara, as she stretched her hands out by her side.

"Let's fight."

Starting with pen knives and staplers, all sorts of stationeries appeared in those hands. Sharpened HB pencils, compass, multi-coloured ballpens, mechanical pencils, superglue, rubber bands, paper clips, gachuck(ie. paper shark) , marker pens, safety pins, fountain pens, correction fluid, scissors, cellophane tapes, sewing kits, isosceles triangle rulers, thirty-centimetre rulers, protractors, glue, carving tools, drawing tools, paper weights, ink pots.

…

I got the feeling that I would be persecuted in the future for no other reason than having been in the same class as this person.

"Wa-Wait I'm here not to fight you…"

"You aren't? What a disappointment for storm rider…" She sounded disappointed.

But she didn't relax her arms.

The assorted weaponry glistened.

"Then, what business do you have with me?"

"This is just a possibility, but," I said, "I might be able to help you."

"Help me?" I could tell from her tone that she was laughing at me.

No, she might be infuriated.

"Don't joke. I'm sure I told you that I detest people who pity me. What do you think you are capable of? It'll be sufficient if you shut your mouth and stay away."

"…"

"I'll treat your kindness as an act of hostility," she said, as she took a step towards me.

Her lack of hesitation was a fact that I knew only too well, from the previous skirmish. One that I did not want to know about.

That's why.

That's why, without saying anything, I made a wind barrier in front of me and peeled my mouth to other side.

Exposing the inside of my cheek.

"Eh?"

As expected, Senjougahara was shocked. She stopped moving only an inch from his super thick wind barrier and the weapons in her hands fell onto the floor.

"You – how is that –" she could not complete her question.

That's right.

There was not even the smell of blood.

"Come…I can help you."

-xXx-

It all happened during spring break.

I was attacked by a vampire.

In a time with mobile phones and cars, and when it was normal to travel overseas for a school trip... It's rather embarrassing to say this, but I was attacked by a vampire.

She was a breathtaking beauty.

A beautiful monster.

A very – beautiful monster.

I usually hide it with my black jacket , but on the nape of my neck, her bite marks remain. Before it gets warm, I'm thinking of letting my hair grow to cover it up, but more importantly - there are probably lots of stories where when one is attacked by a vampire, people like vampire hunters, specialists in killing vampires, or a special division of the Christian Church, or a group of vampires who hunt their own kind will appear to save you- but, in my case, I was saved by a passing stranger.

Because of that, I was able to return to being a human being – I'm fine with sunlight, crosses and garlic – but there were side-effects; my physical abilities had improved. Though I say that, I don't mean my physical abilities, but my metabolism has increased; my ability to heal myself.

I don't know what would have happened if my cheek had been ripped apart by that cutter-knife, but it takes less than thirty seconds to heal the wound made by the staple.

Compared to other living creatures, that's pretty fast.

"Oshino – Oshino-san?"

"That's right. Oshino Meme."

"Oshino Meme, you say… it certainly sounds like a moe name."

"Don't get your expectations too high. He's a thirty-plus year old man."

"I see. But he must have been a moe character when he was young."

"Don't judge real people like that. More importantly, you understand what "moe" and "character" are?

"It's common knowledge," said Senjougahara, looking composed.

"They call my character 'tsundere', don't they?"

"…"

I think I should call your character as Tsundra

Hahahaha

From Naoetsu High, where Hanekawa, Senjougahara and I go to, it takes about twenty minutes to get to a cram school that was located outside the residential area.

Was located.

A few years ago, because of the sudden influx of famous cram schools, this particular school had closed down due to financial problems. By the time I came to know about this four-floored building, it had already fallen into an awe-inspiring state of disrepair, so what I know of its history is only from rumors.

Dangerous.

Private property.

Access prohibited.

Though the building was surrounded by a safety fence and a mess of poster boards, holes in the fence were aplenty, so entry and exit was both possible and easy.

And in the midst of that rubble was where Oshino lived.

Where he decided to make his home.

Including spring break, it had been about a month.

"In any case are we going to be all right, jumping from one roof to roof like this?"

"Don't worry I'm professional AT user."

"So are you in one of those kings levels, Minami-kun?"

She knew about AT?

"You know about AT?"

"I am playing that too before…"

"So you're giving up now…"

"No and my skirt feels to airy here"

"It's not my fault."

"Stop making excuses. I'll chop it to pieces."

"Chop what to pieces!?"

"Shouldn't you be nicer to me because it's my first time taking a fly with someone like you?"

Didn't you propose that kindness is an action of hostility?

Her words and actions contradict each other.

"All right then, what should we do?"

"How about you brought me super packet in Mcdonald and we call it?"

"Don't you care about others?"

"Don't address me so casually. I said it was an example, didn't I?"

What did I answer to that?

An excellent question.

"Compare to you Simca-san is more beautiful and docile…"

"She's my pupil."

"What happened to the years between you two!?"

"Can you please stop interrupting me? You've been overly friendly. If others didn't know better, they'd think that we were classmates."

"But we are!"

To what extent is she going to deny our relationship?

It just seems too much to me.

"Geez… It's going to take quite a bit of patience to deal with someone like you, isn't it…"

"Araragi-kun, that sentence makes it sound as if it's my character, and not yours, that's problematic, you know?" said Senjougahara.

"More importantly, where's your bag? You're empty-handed, aren't you? Don't you have one?"

That reminds me, I've never seen Senjougahara carrying anything.

"The information in the textbooks is already in my head. That's why I leave everything in the school locker. If I have all my stationery with me, I don't need a bag. Since I don't need a change of clothes for physical education classes either."

"I see."

"If I don't have my hands free, I won't be able to fight when the time comes."

"…"

Her whole body is a weapon.

A human weapon.

Just like Robocop.

Or maybe Terminator?

"Though I'm against leaving sanitary items in school, that's about the only thing that bothers me. I can't borrow from others, since I don't have friends."

"Don't say that so casually."

"What's wrong? Since it is for sanitary purposes, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Hiding it would be more disgusting, don't you think?"

I think hiding it is also rather problematic.

Well, it's up to the individual.

It's not my place to comment on it.

More importantly, what had caught my attention was the way she had dismissed her lack of friends.

"Oh, that reminds me."

Not that I really cared about it, but the previous issue about skirts had brought to my attention the fact that Senjougahara was a girl after all and wouldn't want to dirty her clothes. Because of that, I made some effort to search for a bigger entrance and upon reaching it, I turned to her.

"I'll hold your 'stationery'."

"What?"

"I'll hold them for you, so take them out."

"What did you say?"

She looked as if I had made an unreasonable request to her. As if there was something wrong with my head.

"Though Oshino is kind of a weird guy, he's my saviour."

Besides.

He's also Hanekawa's saviour.

"I won't let him meet someone dangerous, so I'll hold onto your stationery."

"I didn't expect you to say that after we'd arrived." Senjougahara glared at me. "You tricked me, didn't you?"

"…"

Do you have to put it that way?

Senjougahara did not say anything, but her expression was a mixture of serious contemplation and conflict. She stared at a point near her feet, but turned her head to glare at me several times.

I thought that we might leave without going inside, but after a while, Senjougahara said "I understand" as if she had made up her mind.

"Hold out your hands."

***Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter*** ***Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter* *Critter***

Definitely weird.

With that, the stationeries fell from her as if they were a thousand petals, as if it was a magic show and she was pulling off a trick. The stationery she had threatened me with back in the corridor had barely been the tip of the iceberg. Her pockets might be four dimensional. It might be a twenty-second century technology.

Even though I had said I would hold them for her, the amount made me worry if they would fit in my bag.

Wow, the government must be neglecting public safety allowing someone like her to be walking freely about in public.

"Don't misunderstand. It doesn't mean that I trust you now," said Senjougahara, when she had finished passing me all her stationeries.

"What do you mean, trust…"

"If you're thinking of leading me on, bringing me to such an isolated ruin, thinking to pay me back for the stapler wound, then you're making a huge mistake."

"…"

Well, I think it's a mistake too.

"Listen carefully. If I don't call them every minute, five thousand of my minions would go after your family."

"It'll be fine."

"Are you saying that it'll only take a minute?!"

"Do you take me to your ratty hideots?"

"…"

I couldn't deny that.

"You have three adopted sister siblings, right?"

"-!"

She knows about my family.

Even if it's a lie, that's not a joke.

Anyway, I had shown her my invincibility with AT and against injuries and it seems like she doesn't trust me at all because of that. In view of the fact that Oshino had said that trust was important, this was not a good situation.

Well, it can't be helped.

From now on, it's Senjougahara's personal problem.

I'm only the guide.

Past the wire netting, we entered the area and into the building. Even though it was only evening, it was pretty dim. Because the building had been left in disrepair for so long, the footing was bad, and if one wasn't careful one would stumble.

It was then that I realized.

If an empty can fell, it would be only an empty can, but to Senjougahara, it would be an empty can with ten times its normal weight.

If we think in relative terms...

Ten times the gravity, one-tenth of gravity, is a problem that, unlike in manga, cannot be clearly defined. The simplistic thinking that light weight equals high physical ability is wrong. Moreover, this is an unfamiliar place for her. It can't be helped that Senjougahara is like a wild animal on guard.

Even if she is ten times faster, her strength is only one-tenth of what it was.

I understand why she was so reluctant to let go of the stationeries.

Also, why she doesn't carry a bag.

"It's this way."

Don't even think that I'll thank you."

"I get it."

"Instead, you should be thanking me."

"I don't get that."

"After all, I purposely planned for that wound to be on the inside of your cheek so it wouldn't show."

"..."

"Minami-kun, I will say this once more."

"Yes?"

"Perhaps it's difficult to tell from my clothes, but my body might not actually worth the pay you would pay for committing the crime."

"How should I say this?...You seem overly self-conscious? And quite interested in that topic, do you find it endearing?"

"How rude. Be that as it may, there are things you should and shouldn't say."

"You knew?"

She has zero prudence and no sense of shame.

What a terrifying person.

"It seems to me, not just from what you say, but from a general point of view, you seem to be overly self-conscious, as if you think of yourself as a victim?"

"How unpleasant. There are things you can say and things you can't?"

"You're fully aware of that!?"

"Still, that Oshino person of yours sure lives in a rundown building, doesn't he?"

"Ah... He's quite an eccentric person."

Bicycle

Hospital beds

Food remains

"Shouldn't we have contacted him beforehand- though it's a bit late saying that now- since we're the ones asking him for a favor?"

"It's surprising to hear something like common sense from you, but unfortunately, he doesn't have a mobile phone."

"It seems like he's not one to reveal his true character. He sounds rather dubious. What does he do for a living?"

"I don't really know the details, but he's an expert in situations like ours."

"Hmm."

any point in asking. Both seemed to be the correct interpretation.

"Ah, Minami-kun, you're wearing your watch on your right wrist, aren't you?"

"Hmm? Ah, yeah."

"Are you warped?"

"Can't you just ask if I'm left-handed!"

"I see. So, are you?"

"…"

She's the one who's warped.

-xXx-

Fourth floor.

Since it was originally a cram school, the rooms were divided into three classrooms – for each of the classrooms, the doors were broken and had blended into the corridors. I peeked into the first classroom, looking for Oshino,

"Ah there you are Karasu-kun. I've been waiting for you…"

Oshino Meme was there.

He was sitting cross-legged on a makeshift bed created from several worn-out tables that had been stacked and tied together with plastic strings, facing them.

As if he had known that I was coming. As usual – he can see through everything.

And, Senjougahara was – clearly, repulsed. Even though I had told her about Oshino, Oshino's dirty state must be quite shocking to a modern high school girl's sense of fashion. Anyone who lived in such a dump would certainly become quite ragged, but even a guy like me would say that Oshino is far from clean.

One could only say that he wasn't clean, if one wanted to be truthful. And more important than that, the psychedelic Hawaiian shirt was the last straw.

It always comes as kind of a shock that this person is my saviour...

He doesn't seem anything like Hanekawa.

"Ooh. I see that you've brought a different girl today. I never see you with the same girl twice, do I? Really, I couldn't be happier for you."

"Cut that out, don't make me sound like that kind of character."

"Hmm – aren't you?"

He slightly perked up, "Hm. Nice to meet you, Ojou-san. I am Oshino desu."

She bowed politely, "Nice to meet you, too. I am Senjougahara Hitagi desu."

I wonder, where these etiquettes were when she was talking to me.

In any case, the self-introductions were done.

At least she hadn't tried to insert any insults. Looks like she has some respect for the older generation.

"I'm Minami-kun's classmate, he was the one who told me about you."

"Ah – I see," said Oshino in a meaningful tone of voice.

Casting his eyes downwards, he took out a cigarette and held it between his lips, without lighting it. The windows, which were already unable to function as windows, contained only shards of glass, and Oshino seemed to be pointing at the far distance.

And after a long silence, he turned towards me.

"Well – I guess it'll be better if you ask her directly, but anyways, Oshino – two years ago, she –"

"Don't talk about me so informally," said Senjougahara resolutely.

"Then how do you want me to call you?"

"Senjougahara-sama."

"…"

Is she sane?

"…Sen-jou-ga-ha-ra-sa-ma." Long, drawn-out, and sarcastic.

"I don't like the way you pronounced that. Say it properly."

"Senjougahara-chan."

***TAP* *TAP***

"Damn BITCH!"

"That's because you were rude."

"What's with that equivalent exchange!?"

"My abusive words are filled with forty grams of copper, twenty five grams of zinc, fifteen grams of nickel, five grams of embarrassment and ninety seven kilograms of spite."

"That's mostly spite, isn't it!"

"By the way, the bit about embarrassment was a joke."

"You just took out the most important ingredient!"

"You sure are noisy. If you don't keep it down, I'm going to give you the nickname 'menstrual pain'."

"That sounds like a suicide monster!"

"What's your problem? It's just as the word suggests, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"That and being spiteful are different issues!"

Senjougahara seemed satisfied with that and turned to face Oshino.

"I'd like to inquire about something." Rather than just Oshino, her tone of voice suggested that she was addressing both Oshino and me, as she pointed to the corner of the classroom.

In that corner, there was a young girl – young enough that she wouldn't have entered high school yet - hugging her knees. She looked about eight years old, wearing an old pilot helmet and goggles, with white skin and blonde hair, hugging her knees in the corner.

What weird from her was there was a black crow on her head.

"What on earth is that child?"

"What", rather than "who", she asks, which meant that Senjougahara was perceptive. Anyways, even if it had not been Senjougahara, most perceptive people would have noticed that there was something different about the girl, especially since she stared at Oshino with an insecure look.

"Ah, you don't have to worry about her," I explained, before Oshino could say anything.

"She's just sitting there, she won't do anything so – it'll be fine. She has neither a shadow nor a shape. A child without a name, without existence."

I told her

"But that crow had name, his name was Kuu."

"Oh, no, no, Karasu-kun," interrupted Oshino. "You're right that she has neither shadow, shape nor existence, but I and Kuu gave her a name yesterday. Since she and Kuu was pretty useful during Golden Week, and it would be inconvenient if she doesn't have a name. Also, as long as she doesn't have a name, she'll remain an atrocity."

"Hmm – a name. What did you name her?"

"Oshino Shinobu."

"Shinobu – hmm."

A truly Japanese name.

Though it doesn't really matter in this case.

"A heart under a blade. A good name, fitting for her, don't you think? I gave her my family name. It happens that the Kanji character for "Shinobu" is also part of my name. Serving two purposes and having threefold meaning. Quite a tasteful name, don't you think? I quite like it myself."

"Does it really matter?"

More like, it doesn't matter to me.

"I considered quite a few, and narrowed it down to Oshino Shinobu or Oshino Oshino, but I picked the one that sounded better instead of the one that played with phonetics. I think Ms. Class Representative would be quite happy with the choice of the Kanji too."

"It's fine."

I really don't care.

"Like I said."

In a tone of voice that suggested that she had had quite enough of this inscrutable talk, Senjougara asked,

"What on earth is that child?"

"Like I said – nothing."

The ruins of a vampire.

The hollow remains of a beautiful monster.

No matter what I said, it couldn't be helped, could it? Anyways, it wasn't related to Senjougahara, but my own problem. As long as I live, it's a burden that I will have to carry.

"Nothing, you say. Fine."

"..."

What an indifferent woman.

"More importantly."

Senjougahara shifted her gaze from the ex-vampire, a girl with white skin and blonde hair, aka Oshino Shinobu, to Oshino Meme.

"I heard that you could help me."

"Me? That's impossible," said Oshino in a joking tone of voice.

"Only you can help yourself, ojou-chan."

"..."

Wow.

Senjougahara's eyes narrowed to half their normal size.

She's plainly suspicious.

"Till today, there have been five people who'd told me those exact words. They were all conmen. Are you one of them, Oshino-san?"

"Hahhaa. Ojou-chan, you sure are energetic. Did something good happen to you?"

Why on earth are you using such provocative words? There are those on whom those words will work, like Hanekawa, but it won't work on Senjougahara.

She's the type who'd step up to the challenge.

"All right, all right."

I reluctantly stepped in to mediate.

I forcefully inserted myself between them.

"Don't interrupt. I'll kill you."

"..."

Ok, Seriously

Is she was Rika or Ringo in other form?

I never afraid of woman without those two after all and I don't want to added new girl in that list…

"Well, in any case," said Oshino rather offhandedly, in contrast to the tense situation.

"If you don't tell me about your situation, we won't be able to get anything done. I'm not very good at reading people's minds. If you don't talk, I won't be able to get at the heart of the problem. I'll keep your secret for you, so don't worry."

"..."

"Ah. Well. I'll explain a bit first – "

"It's okay, Araragi-kun."

Senjougahara interrupted me again.

"I'll do it myself."

"Senjougahara."

"I can do it myself," she said.

-xXx-

"Omoshi Kani."

She didn't blink, the name alone was fascinating, "Omoshi Kani?"

Oshino's head dropped, "Yes, it's a myth from the mountains in the Kyushu region.", he looked towards the moon, through the broken window. "According to different areas, Omoshi Kani is also known as Omoishi Kani (Heavy Stone God) or Omoshi Gani (Emotion God). Furthermore, Omoishi Kami is another way of saying it. It's a pun of Kani and Kami, which are crab and god."

"Is the location specific?"

"The place doesn't have much unique significance. If the right conditions are met, it shall emerge there. That's all there is to it."

He paused.

"In this case, it doesn't necessarily have to be a crab. They are also myths that they are rabbits. And…though I am not talking about Shinobu-chan, there are also myths that they were beautiful girls."

He leaned forward, his gloved hand coming together with the naked, "Well, since you say you met a crab, Ojou-chan, this time it must be a crab.", forming a crab.

She wasn't interested, "What exactly is it? Its name is of no value to me."

Oshino chided the girl, "The name is very important. I also mentioned it earlier. It could originally be a god, rather than a crab. I mean, it diverged from Omoishi Kami to become Omoshi Kani. You are one of the fortunate ones amongst the unfortunate."

Oshino tried to be humorous.

But he isn't.

She stared, "Why do you say that?"

"Gods are everywhere. They are everywhere, but nowhere. Before you become like this…it was beside you, yet not beside you."

"It's an ambiguous question and answer, isn't it?"

"This is a Shinto matter. Oh, maybe it's Shugendou? Don't be mistaken, Ojou-chan. You didn't become like this as a result of something. It's only that the perspective changed a bit."

"Perspective? What are you trying to say?"

Isn't that simple?

"I am saying that your, 'Oh, so pitiful' look makes me unhappy, Ojou-chan."

He is testing you.

"Eh, still so calm, are you? I thought you were a spoiled little miss."

I know she is, somewhere.

"Why would you think that?"

"A majority of the people who encounter Omoshi Kani are like that. It's not something you can meet because you want to. Interference with this god is uncommon."

She has every right to be stunned.

"Uncommon Interference?"

His one golden eye stared at her, "It merely exists there. It won't come true if you don't anticipate it."

"Rather, I don't want to dive too deep into this matter. Regardless if it can be done or not, I understand. If you wish to regain your weight, I can help you. Besides, Karasu-kun recommend me to you."

Hearing that Senjougahara moved toward me and grasped my hand as if she was pleading something to me and looked through to my eyes.

"You will help me?"

-xXx-

E/N: Yo! For those who wonders why I am writing this fanfic, instead of anything that you thought from my fanfics.

When searching material of Sky, I accidentaly found the translation of Bakemonogatari and my favourite Kizumonogatari which retailed Araragi's' first meeting with Kiss-shot and immediately got hooked. After that I just noticed the similarities in using Kanji as symbol in Medaka and Monogatari series and it is made by same author !

I'm honestly couldn't describe what is Bakemonogatari actually. So far it has a mundane storyline 'meeting someone special had adventure'. But Nisio-Isin can make it very completely different storyline and Kizumonogatari had a very interesting element inside it and i hear Kizumonogatari will get anime adaptation and it makes me absolutely thrilled!

Well, whatever the case, I needed something to get myself back on the horse. This story should only run about3 weeks or more but if you wanted more then…

So please review with it


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